Anchor Bolt Setter Mechanism Assembly

ABSTRACT

This invention, the Anchor Bolt Setter mechanism assembly, is designed to attach to various different types of pre-erected foundation forms in order to properly set anchor bolts to code specifications before the concrete is poured. The Anchor Bolt Setter (“ABS”) is robust and strong in order to withstand the force of pouring concrete. The ABS consists of different styles of ABS Sliders to correspond with the different styles of foundation forms along with an ABS Elbow to accommodate when the concrete is not poured to the top of any foundation concrete forms, and it includes different styles of ABS Bolt Caps that correspond with the different sizes of anchor bolts. The suspending of an anchor bolt before concrete is poured is achieved by the Anchor Bolt Setter mechanism assembly. An anchor bolt is threaded into one of the corresponding ABS Bolt Caps, and then one of the ABS Sliders or the ABS Elbow is mounted to a concrete foundation form and then the Bolt Cap is locked onto any of the ABS Sliders or the ABS Elbow which properly sets and suspends the anchor bolt holding it from moving during the pouring of concrete. This practice properly sets anchor bolts for concrete foundations and eliminates the practice of wet setting anchor bolts.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The application of this invention, the Anchor Bolt Setter (“ABS”), relates to concrete construction, and more particularly to the setting of anchor bolts for concrete foundations requiring the placement of anchor bolts. The ABS is a apparatus mechanism assembly that sets anchor bolts prior to the pouring of concrete into foundation forms.

Description of the Related Technology

During the process of building a home or various other types of buildings, a footing is created with concrete, after this footing is created foundation forms are place on to the footing in order to create foundation walls which extrude upwards from the footings. Concrete is then poured into these foundation forms creating a foundation, once the concrete hardens, or cures, the foundation forms are then removed leaving behind the foundation walls. Prior to the concrete hardening anchor bolts must be placed so that they set on top of the foundation walls allowing the threaded part of the anchor bolt to protrude from the top of the foundation while the rest of the anchor bolt sets inside the concrete foundation. It's the placement of the anchor bolt before the concrete is poured is where the Anchor Bolt Setter comes into play. The Anchor Bolt Setter allows anchor bolts to be properly set before the concrete is poured, and once the concrete is dry or is cured the Anchor Bolt Setter is then easily removed at the same time that the foundation forms are removed leaving behind a foundation with protruding anchor bolts.

Various mechanisms have been devised in one way or another for wet setting anchor bolts (wet setting anchor bolts is the method of pushing anchor bolts into wet cement and allowing it to dry that way, wet setting anchor bolts is a practice this is commonly used but discouraged by The Structural Engineer's Association of Utah (“SEAU”) who published a letter in this regard against wet setting anchor bolts pursuant to the IBC (International Building Code) Sections 1912, 1704.4, 1704.13, 109.3.1, 109.3.2. The applicable parts of this letter can be seen at http://www.kimballeng.blogspot.com/209/11/wet-setting-anchor-boltsholdowns.html). An example of supporting mechanisms for wet setting anchor bolts can be found in the teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 7,103,984 to Kasberg; U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,436 to Delgado; U.S. Pat. No. 7,225,589 to Smith and also the published continuation in part of US 2006/0016140. It appears that all of these methods fail to address the setting of anchor bolts before the concrete is poured, also they are designed only for one type of concrete foundation forms, and they have no application when the concrete is not poured to the top of the concrete foundation forms, and they do not address setting the anchor bolt to accommodate concrete slabs. U.S. Pat. No. 7,891,110 along with U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,487,597 and 8,544,814 as to Diaz appears to attend to the setting of anchor bolts prior to the pouring of concrete, but it does not address nor does it have an application to address when the concrete is not poured to the top of any foundation form, it also has no application when steel concrete foundation forms are used, nor does it address any application for setting anchor bolts that will accommodate concrete slabs. Prior to the pouring of concrete the ABS is designed with a locking system and suspension system that can be applied to all the known concrete foundation forms regardless of whether or not the concrete is poured to the top of any foundation form, and it accommodates concrete slabs. The ABS succeeds way beyond where each of the said other inventions fail.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Concrete foundation forms are used for the creation of concrete foundations for homes and various buildings. There are a few different types of foundation forms found in the industry, these different types consists of a steel framed foundation form, which is described as a steel frame wrapped around wood planks that come in different sizes, there are wood foundation forms formulated to a certain size which also come in different sizes, and then there are custom made wood foundation forms usually built by private builders for their own buildings. When these forms are set and ready for concrete, concrete is then poured into these forms to create the foundation, it might be noted that not always is the concrete poured to the top of these forms. Nonetheless, just before the pouring of the concrete is to take place the Anchor Bolt Setter (ABS) is an apparatus mechanism assembly used to set the required anchor bolts in its proper position before the concrete is poured, this eliminates the practice of wet setting anchor bolts that the IBC frowns upon. ABS apparatus mechanism assembly fits the commonly used concrete foundation forms found in the industry, and the ABS is also formulated to be used when the concrete is not poured to the top of the any foundation forms.

The ABS consists of several parts, the ABS Sliders, the ABS Bolt Caps and the ABS Elbow. Each of the ABS Sliders correspond with the different styles of foundations forms as stated above, for example, the industry standard steel frame forms would require the ABS Steel Slider, the industry standard wood frame would require the ABS Wood Slider, all the custom made wood foundation forms would require the ABS Custom Slider, and anytime that the concrete is not poured to the top of any kind of foundation form it would require the ABS Elbow. The ABS Elbow and the ABS Sliders do not work alone, each ABS Slider including the ABS Elbow all require the ABS Bolt Cap. Before setting the anchor bolt it is first threaded into the ABS Bolt Cap which then locks into place in one of the ABS Sliders or the ABS Elbow. Due to the fact that there are different sizes of anchor bolts there are different sizes of ABS Bolt Caps matching up with the anchor bolts, for example, the ½ inch ABS Bolt Cap matches up with a ½ inch anchor bolt, the ⅝ inch ABS Bolt Cap matches up with the ⅝ inch anchor bolt and so on. The ABS provides a quick and accurate way to set anchor bolts while eliminating the improper practice of wet setting.

The ABS is easy to set up, once the foundation form is set up and ready for the placement of anchor bolts, one of the corresponding ABS Sliders or ABS Elbow is set into place and can be nailed down if needs be, but the ABS Elbow requires it to be nailed down. It is suggested that a double headed nail should be used when nailing down any of the ABS Sliders or ABS Elbow in order to provide easy removal at the right time. Once the ABS Sliders or ABS Elbows are set into place, the required anchor bolt is then threaded into the matching ABS Bolt Cap up until the anchor bolt becomes difficult to continue threading it into place stopping at a precise spot where the elbow shank of the anchor bolt faces towards the other side of the foundation form. The ABS Bolt Cap has a half hole at the top in order to verify that the anchor bolt is threaded to the top, this indicates to the installer that the anchor bolt will be 3″ above the concrete if the smaller Bolt Cap is used. After the anchor bolt is properly threaded into the ABS Bolt Cap, the Bolt Cap is then locked into place by placing the side orifices of the Bolt Cap into the protruding prongs that set on both sides of the Sliders and Elbow.

The ABS is designed for an easy take down, at the time the foundation forms are taken down the ABS is then removed, this is done by several methods that is self evident to anybody with ordinary skills in the art of erecting foundation forms, there is no one set way to remove the ABS, however one simple way to do this would be by placing a screwdriver inside the hole of the locking orifices of the ABS Bolt Cap and then turning the screwdriver until it breaks the locking orifices, after it is broken the ABS Bolt Cap is then un-threaded from the ABS Bolt Cap by a few turns, once it's off the anchor bolt you then remove the ABS Elbow or Slider by first removing any nails which will cause the Elbow to fall off the foundation form, or in case of the Sliders they will slide off the foundation forms.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is that of the ⅝ inch ABS Anchor Bolt Cap, consisting of several different views, it is a representative of the different sizes of ABS Bolt Caps for short anchor bolts with different threaded sizes, and the numbered lead lines refer to explanations of its function and or purpose.

FIG. 2 is that of the ⅝ inch ABS Anchor Bolt Cap, consisting of several different views, it is a representative of the different sizes of ABS Bolt Caps for long anchor bolts used mostly for the erection of foundations and slabs, it has different threaded sizes, and the numbered lead lines refer to explanations of its function and or purpose.

FIG. 3 is that of the ABS Steel Slider consisting of several different views, this Steel Slider is designed for common industry standard steel foundation forms, and the numbered lead lines refer to explanations of its function and purpose.

FIG. 4 illustrates how the ABS Steel Slider mounts against the industry standard steel frame foundation forms. The views show two parts of the ABS consisting of the ⅝″ ABS Bolt Cap and the ABS Steel Slider. This illustration also identifies a typical anchor bolt along with a small partial brief sketch of a typical industrial steel frame foundation form, the views show how all the items work together and how the ABS is set into place as explained by the referenced numbered lead lines.

FIG. 5 is that of the ABS Wood Slider consisting of several different views, this Slider is designed for industry standard wood foundation forms, and the numbered lead lines refer to explanations of its function and purpose.

FIG. 6 illustrates how the ABS mounts against the industry standard wood frame foundation forms. The views show two parts of the ABS consisting of the ⅝″ ABS Bolt Cap and the ABS Wood Slider. This illustration shows a typical anchor bolt along with small partial brief sketch of a typical industrial wood frame foundation form and a typical anchor bolt, and the views show how all the items work together and how the ABS is set into place as explained by the referenced numbered lead lines.

FIG. 7 is that of the ABS Custom Slider consisting of several different views, this Slider is designed for custom wood foundation forms, and the numbered lead lines refer to explanations of its function and purpose.

FIG. 8 illustrates how the ABS mounts against a custom wood frame foundation forms. The views show two parts of the ABS consisting of the ⅝″ ABS Bolt Cap and the ABS Custom Slider. This illustration also shows a small partial brief sketch of a custom wood frame foundation form and a anchor bolt, and the views show how all the items work together and how the ABS is set into place as explained by the referenced numbered lead lines.

FIG. 9 is that of the ABS Elbow consisting of several different views, this Elbow is designed to be put into place against any foundation forms when the concrete is not poured to the top of the foundation forms, the numbered lead lines refer to explanations of its function and purpose.

FIG. 10 illustrates how the ABS fits against any foundation forms when the concrete is not poured to the top. The views show two parts of the ABS consisting of the ⅝″ ABS Bolt Cap and the ABS Elbow. This illustration also shows a small partial brief sketch representing the side of any foundation forms and a anchor bolt, and the views show how all the items work together and how the ABS is set into place as explained by the referenced numbered lead lines.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ABS WITH ALL OF ITS EMBODIMENTS

The various embodiments and variations thereof illustrated in the accompanying figures are described herein are merely exemplary of the various embodiments and are not meant to be limited in scope of the ABS's purpose and functions. It is to be appreciated that numerous variations of the invention have been contemplated as would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art with the benefit of this disclosure. Rather, the scope and breadth afforded this document should not only be limited by the claims provided herein while applying either the plain meaning found in the claims or the meaning clearly and unambiguously provided in this specification.

The following description is given as instruction style on setting the ABS along with a description of each of the ABS mechanisms. In this manner the reader, or one whom has a basic skill in the art, is given a better understanding of the invention, purposes and functions. And as references there are brief limited illustrations consisting mostly of one side of the various foundation forms are given to demonstrate how the ABS is attached to the various foundation forms. Also a limited illustration of the anchor bolt is also given to show how it installs into the ABS Bolt Caps. With these descriptions and illustrations a person who has a basic understanding of the art will understand how the ABS sets and suspends the anchor bolt prior to the concrete being poured into foundation forms.

The ABS Anchor Bolt Cap 1 & 9 (“Cap”) is shown in FIG. 1 & FIG. 2. These two figures represent two different lengths of the Cap, FIG. 1 is that of a short Cap and FIG. 2 is that of a long Cap, they are basically the same other then the length. The longer Cap is used for concrete slabs or when a longer anchor bolt is required. These Caps are interchangeable and produce the same functions. One whom has a basic understanding of the art will know which Cap to use with its corresponding anchor bolt. For the purposes of this abstract the different sizes and lengths of the ABS Anchor Bolt Cap will be represented by the singularity title of the word “Cap”.

On the sides 2 of the Cap is written ⅝, this represents the thread size of the anchor bolt 16 (FIG. 4) that is placed inside 6 the Cap which would be a ⅝″ anchor bolt. If the said sides 2 were to read ½ then that would required a ½″ anchor bolt. The Cap 1 & 9 (FIGS. 1 & 2) come in different sizes matching the different sizes of anchor bolts, and each different sizes of the Caps is made with a different color so that they are all color coded, for example, a white Cap would have the side 2 markings of ¼, a green Cap would have the side 2 markings of ½ and so on. Color coding is important, once the anchor bolts are set in place by the ABS assemblies the different color of Caps will easily identify what size of anchor bolt is used in that specific spot, this becomes easy for inspectors to know if the right sized anchor bolts are set in place.

The Cap also is designed with two square type opening orifices 5 for the purposes of attaching the Cap to the various ABS Sliders and Elbow as described below. The Cap also has 4 a circular protrusion at the bottom designed to fit inside the holes 11 (FIG. 3), 25 (FIG. 5), 32 (FIG. 7), 42 (FIG. 9) of the various ABS Sliders and Elbow as described below.

The anchor bolt 16 (FIG. 4) installs inside the cavity 6 found at the bottom of the Cap. Installation of the anchor bolt into the Cap is done by pushing the threaded 16 (FIG. 3) part of the anchor bolt inside the cavity on the bottom 6 of the Cap, and then as the anchor bolt reaches the top of the Cap 3 you start to thread the anchor bolt in as it coincides with the inside threads 3 of the Cap, you continue threading the anchor bolt in until it compresses against the end 7 of the Cap. in which it will become difficult to continue threading it in and stopping at the point when the bottom L shape 17 (FIG. 4) of the anchor points outward from the middle of the sides 8 of the Cap. Once the anchor bolt is compressed into the cap (while making sure it is set at the right angle) this compression keeps the anchor bolt from turning from side to side while the concrete is being poured.

After you have prepared the Cap as stated above you then move onto the next step for each of the different types of foundation forms as described below.

For the industry standard steel foundation forms requires the ABS Steel Slider (“Steel Slider”) FIG. 3. The Steel Slider is designed to fit or wrap around the steel foundation form 20 of FIG. 4. The Steel Slider is designed with 2 prongs 12 that plug into the Cap 5. At the top of these prongs is designed a hook 13 that stops the anchor bolt from going upwards during the pouring of the concrete. This hook is equally found on all the prongs from all the ABS Sliders and Elbow. There is a 2″ 15 (FIG. 3) maker which identifies a marking line 14 as being 2″ from the center of the hole 11, this indicates to the installer that the anchor bolt will be placed at the proper 2″ from the side of the foundation form. This 2″ indicator with its corresponding marking line is equally found on all the ABS Sliders and the Elbow.

Installing the ABS Steel Slider is designed for an easy install FIG. 4. The lower tongue 18 part of the slider goes against the back side 20 of the Steel Slider where it maintains a nice snug fit, however the installer is free to nail the tongue 18 down into the back side 20 of the Steel Slider. Once the Steel Slider is secured against the steel foundation form the next step is to install the Cap with the previous installed anchor bolt (as described above) onto the Steel Slider by placing the Cap 1 into the side prongs 12 so that you achieve an install as illustrated in FIG. 4. When the marker line 14 lines up with the edge of the foundation form 19 this indicates to the installer that the anchor bolt is 2″ from the inside wall of the foundation form. Once the install as described above has been completed the anchor bolt is now set and is ready for the concrete to be poured.

For the industry standard wood foundation forms requires the ABS Wood Slider (“Wood Slider”) 21 of FIG. 5, like the other Sliders this Slider also has the 25 hole, prongs 24 and the 2″ marker 26, this Slider has the back angles 23 designed to easily wrap around wood foundation forms, and the underside 22 is smooth.

When installing the Wood Slider FIG. 6 onto the wood foundation form 30 the inside 23 back part of the angle sits tightly against the 28 upper protruding part of the wood foundation form, it then lays flat 27 against the top of the wood foundation form. To secure it more tightly the Wood Slider is designed so that the installer can nail down the Wood Slider any place necessary. Once the Wood Slider is secured against the wood foundation form, the Cap with the previous installed anchor bolt is then installed onto the Wood Slider in the same manner and way that that its installed onto the Steel Slider. Once this is completed the anchor bolt is now set into place and ready for the concrete to be poured.

For custom made wood foundation forms this would require the ABS Custom Slider (“Custom Slider”) 31 of FIG. 7. The Custom Slider is designed with a 2″ marking line 34, this line measures the distance from the marking line to the center hole 32 of the Custom Slider, it also has the 2 prongs 33. The Custom Slider is long enough to be used on any size custom wood foundation forms including the industry standard wood foundation forms.

The Custom Slider is designed for custom wood foundation forms. The Custom Slider has similar features as the other two Sliders mentioned above in that it has 33 prongs with a hook at the end 35, a hole 32, a 2″ marker 34 line, and the bottom is flat 36 so that it can be placed on top of the custom wood foundation forms.

When installing the Custom Slider FIG. 8 onto the custom wood foundation forms, or any other type wood forms, the 2″ marking line 38 must line up along with the edge 49 of the foundation form as depicted in bottom drawing of FIG. 8. The installer is free to nail it down anywhere necessary, once it is nailed down and secured against the custom wood foundation forms, the Cap with the previous installed anchor bolt is then placed onto the Custom Slider in the same manner that the Cap was placed onto the Steel Slider. Once that is completed the anchor bolt is now securely set so that concrete can then be poured.

When concrete is not poured to the top of any foundation forms, then the ABS Elbow 39 (FIG. 9) is used. It is designed in like manner as the Sliders; it has prongs 41, a hole 42 and a 2″ marker 45 showing that it's 2″ from the back of the foundation wall to the middle of the hole 42. The Elbow has a upper side 43 so that it can be secured against the foundation form.

When installing the Elbow onto the inside wall of any foundation form 46 of FIG. 10, it will be placed along a line chalk mark, those knowledgeable in the art will have placed a chalk mark along the inside of the foundation form wall 47 identifying how high the concrete is to be poured. The upper back side 40 is placed against the inside wall 47 of the form while the bottom edges 48 of the Elbow is lined up with the chalk mark (chalk mark is not shown in the illustration), the upper side 43 is then nailed down against the foundation form 47. Once the Elbow is secured against the wall of the form, the Cap with the anchor bolt is then installed onto the Elbow in the same fashion that the Cap is installed onto the Steel Slider. Once the said steps are completed the anchor it set into position and is ready for the concrete to be poured.

The manner in which to uninstall the ABS has already been described above. 

The invention claimed is:
 1. This invention of the Anchor Bolt Setter system assembly consists of the embodiments for setting anchor bolts before concrete is poured, these embodiments in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows of their respective parts; a. The ABS Anchor Bolt Cap (“Cap”) This Cap comprises of a tapered tubular part designed to hold an anchor bolt that would be inserted into the cavity of the Cap. The anchor bolt is threaded into the upper threads of the Cap and stops upon its self created compression. This compression keeps the anchor bolt from turning while the concrete is being poured. There are various sizes of Caps matching the various sizes of threaded anchor bolts. Each of the Caps also are comprised of a specially designed circular tubular protrusion found on the bottom of the Caps which is designed to be inserted to the holes of any of the ABS Sliders and ABS Elbow. Also each Cap has traps described as two square open orifices that set close to the bottom side and on the opposite end of each other, there are also identify markings of measurements found on the sides of these orifices, these orifices are for the prongs found on the said Sliders and Elbow which plug and lock into the orifices. b. The ABS Steel Slider (“Steel Slider”). This Steel Slider generally comprises of a elongate flat planar segment, the bottom side is flat, it has several specifically designed angles at one end of it so that these angles can wrap around a industry standard steel foundation form. The bottom protruding angle is designed so that it can be nailed down against the said foundation form. The Steel Slider is also designed with a hole at the opposite end of the angles, there are also two prongs protruding upward sitting on the outside sides of the said hole. The Steel Slider is designed in this manner so that the Cap can lock into the Steel Slider, this is done by placing the bottom round extrusion of the Cap into the hole of the Steel Slider making sure that the prongs plug into the square orifices of the Cap. Before locking the Cap into the Steel Slider an anchor blot is threaded into the Cap. Once the Steel Slider is properly secured onto the foundation form, and the Cap is plugged and locked onto the Steel Slider, this constitutes that the anchor bolt is suspended and properly locked into its proper position and is ready for the concrete to be poured. c. The ABS Wood Slider (“Wood Slider”). This Wood Slider generally comprises of a elongate flat planar segment, the bottom side is flat, it has several specifically designed angles at one end of it so that these angles can wrap around a industry standard wood foundation form. The Wood Slider is designed so that it can be nailed down anywhere needed. The Wood Slider is also designed with a hole at the opposite end of the angles, there are also two prongs protruding upward sitting on the outside sides of the said hole. The Wood Slider is designed in this manner so that the Cap can lock into the Wood Slider, this is done by placing the bottom round extrusion of the Cap into the hole of the Wood Slider making sure that the prongs plug into the square orifices of the Cap. Before locking the Cap into the Wood Slider an anchor blot is threaded into the Cap. Once the Wood Slider is properly secured onto the foundation form, and the Cap is plugged and locked onto the Wood Slider, this constitutes that the anchor bolt is suspended and properly locked into its proper position and is ready for the concrete to be poured. d. The ABS Custom Slider (“Custom Slider”). The Custom Slider generally comprises of a elongate planar segment of which the bottom side is flat, it is made to sit onto the top of the custom wood foundation form and allows for it to be nailed down where needed. The Custom Slider is also designed with a hole at one end, on the sides of the hole there are also two prongs protruding upward sitting on the outside sides of the said hole. The Custom Slider is designed in this manner so that the Cap can lock into the Custom Slider, this is done by placing the bottom round extrusion of the Cap into the hole of the Wood Slider making sure that the prongs plug into the square orifices of the Cap. Before locking the Cap into the Custom Slider an anchor bolt is threaded into the Cap. Once the Custom Slider is properly secured onto the foundation form, and the Cap is plugged and locked onto the Custom Slider, this constitutes that the anchor bolt is suspended and properly locked into its proper position and is ready for the concrete to be poured. e. The ABS Elbow (“Elbow”). This Elbow comprises of a elongate planar segment of which the bottom side is flat, it has a flat planar segment protruding upwards. The upwards flat planar is wide and thin and flat on both sides and sits up against the side of any foundation form where it is nailed down so that it attaches against the foundation form at a previously designated spot. The bottom “L” shape of the planar segment has a hole designed at the end, there are also two prongs protruding upward on the outside sides of the said hole. A Cap is installed onto the Elbow by placing the bottom round extrusion of the Cap into the hole of the Custom Slider making sure that the prongs plug into the square orifices of the Cap. Before locking the Cap into the Elbow an anchor blot is threaded into the Cap. Once the Custom Slider is properly secured onto the inside wall of the foundation form, and the Cap is plugged and locked onto the Elbow, this constitutes that the anchor bolt is suspended and properly locked into its proper position and is ready for the concrete to be poured.
 2. This invention of the Anchor Bolt Setter system assembly according to claim 1 further comprises a color coded system so that a certain colored Cap represents the dimensional increment of the threaded shank of a anchor bolt.
 3. This invention of the Anchor Bolt Setter system assembly according to claim 1 further comprises the technique in that any of the said Sliders, and Elbow can be modified to fit any kind of concrete foundation forms. 